29 April 2009

Revanche

In the years following 9/11 and the onset of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which segments of the American public boiled with tooth-for-tooth bloodthirst, an influx of films grappling with the destructive effects of vengeance hit theaters courtesy studios both indie and major: Spiderman 3 and Sweeney Todd, Shotgun Stories and Red, to name a few. Now Austria chimes in with Revanche (Revenge), a gorgeously photographed almost-thriller nominated this past year for Best Foreign Film. In it, Alex, a lovestruck brothel assistant (masterfully played by Johannes Krisch), robs a bank so he can start a new life with his prostitute girlfriend. (Financial desperation is another recently popular theme: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Cassandra's Dream, etc.)